Antigua, Guatemala, August,1st, 2008 – Quinta Maconda & Maya Mountain produced a memorable event at Casa Oriente to welcome guests visiting from Europe, the United States and some from as far as Australia. The hosts who reside in Milan and St. Moritz regaled their forty friends with a magical three day affair in lavish style. The Casa Oriente bash was followed the next day by a candlelit dinner in the 18th century baroque church of San José el Viejo. All had been decorated with traditional Maya ornaments and set up by members of the brotherhood of Sto. Domingo Xenacoj. Guests danced to the tunes of cuban band, Buena Vista de Corazon.

The third day guests were shuttled by motor coaches on a Magical Mystery Tour to the pagan shrine of San Simon followed by the Maya community of Sto. Domingo Xenacoj. All enjoyed the insiders view of the celebration of the mayan community’s patron saint, Santo Domingo –A Picnic and chilled Mojitos were served along the way.

In between and after the festivities, guests were flown to remote villages and coffee farms by helicopter and bush planes to enjoy the charms of an authentic and unknown Guatemala. Vive la difference!

“Antigua is where his exclusive-use 16th-century townhouse is located. The house sleeps eight in four doubles, and includes a magical, overgrown garden at the back. The interiors are stuffed with a striking collection of antiques and artefacts collected during Heaton’s peripatetic life. Most clients couple a stay here with one of Heaton’s brilliantly crafted journeys … ” (click above link for more)

In the mayhem of my early Hollywood years—in fact, throughout my life—I have been lucky enough to stumble across men of great style, wit, flair and, most importantly, real substance. These men of original thought and independence of spirit not edited by their peers or by anyone else have been friends and often provided the inspiration or encouragement for me to continue trying to make an impossible film, build an improbable business or seduce an inappropriate woman … More: Finch\’s Quaterly

“I am just back from Guatemala, where we went for the Christmas/New Year’s Holiday, and I would like to put the experience on your radar and the radar of your readers. We had a world-class, five-star experience in third world settings with hosts of impeccable taste who took fantastic care of us while truly showing us their country from hill to vale, volcano too! The fellow who runs this operation is John Heaton. He and his partner, Catherine Docter, maintain two guest properties and arrange guided experiences throughout their country. We stayed at their 16th-century villa in Antigua and also their jungle retreat on the Rio Dulce. Both were stunning.”

EDITORS’ NOTE: With political turbulence now a thing of the past, Guatemala is attracting more and more foreign visitors with its stunning, lush landscape; mild year-round climate and deep history (reflected in a number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Quirigua and Tikal National Park). One early fan, the French-born John Heaton, decided, in 1990, to build a small lodge (the “jungle retreat”) along the Rio Dulce as well as restore a number of colonial homes, including an Antigua property, which he named Quinta Maconda (after Macondo the village in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s landmark novel One Hundred Years of Solitude). Originally just a guesthouse for visiting friends, Quinta Maconda, is, today, an exclusive four-bedroom residence that also features an extensive collection of antiques and primitive art, gathered from Heaton’s travels all over the globe. The jungle lodge, Rancho el Corozal, which sleeps up to 10 and can only be rented as a house, is a bona fide eco-lodge: torches and candles replace electricity; the buildings have thatched roofs and beds with safari netting, and collected rainwater is used for showering. For guests at either property, various rainforest adventures, including volcano climbs in Antigua and helicopter safaris over the Sierra Madre, as well as archeological tours of Mayan ruins, can be arranged—either as a one-off outing or as part a larger itinerary.Quinta Maconda (private rental) from $1500 + tax. or Quinta Maconda For Rancho el Corozal rates:Jungle Retreat

December 31st, 2006 – We celebrate new year’s eve with Richard David Story, (DEPARTURES, Editor in chief) his wife Jennifer and son Zach, also of the party, Catherine Docter, photographer Alexandra Penney and Dennis Ashbaugh as with the presence of many local friends. It was a festive evening that set the pace for the exhilarating 8 day adventure that followed.